How to Create an Effective Banner Ad

When you are running an online advertising campaign, you are facing an inherent challenge that has frustrated many. The Banner ad is the traditional form of digital advertising. But that doesn’t mean customers are any more willing to click on banner ads, which reduces your potential for exposure and much-needed promotion. What is a business to do?

People don’t really like to click on ads. In fact, there are many tools out there that banish ads completely, meaning advertisers have had to get a little more creative in how they present their advertisements. The trick is to make your banner ad irresistible to customers who see it. In a more cynical digital age that can seem difficult, but really all you need are some tips on creating a more effective banner ad for your business. start your Facebook ad campaign by using banner ads.

Some tips on banner ads for social media

Different banner ad sizes

Banner sizes tend to run in several standard dimensions, depending on where you are placing them. Google AdSense ranked the best performing ad sizes and locations. They include:

Leaderboard – 728×90

Half-Page – 300×600

Large Rectangle – 336×280

Medium Rectangle – 300×250

Large Mobile Banner – 320×100

While there are other banner ad sizes supported, these are the five that tend to show the best results. Which one works for you will be based on your targets and designs. Some ads will require more vertical space. Others more horizontal. Some will need a more balanced look while for others, a thin strip will do.

Know the brand & trend

First, you have a brand. This is the incorporation of your logo somewhere on the ad, which is a must for anyone promoting a product of any kind. It should be one of the first elements the viewer sees in the ad.

Second, there is a trend. This requires using a word that really stands out and gets people interested. Free is a popular and effective one, such as “free trial” or “limited time offer.”

Third, there is a badger. No, it isn’t the small animal. It is pushing people into clicking on your link, through a call-to-action (CTA). The trend can help reinforce this badgering by placing a sense of urgency on the viewer.

Select an ideal tool.

The good news is you don’t need to hire a graphic design company to create an effective banner ad. You don’t even need any expensive software.

Today, we’re lucky to have online tools that can handle everything from concept to design.

One of the most powerful players in banner design is Bannersnack which recently launched a new banner creator, which provides a lot of tools to design an effective ad.

Call to action

It isn’t enough to just present an ad with information about your product or brand. No matter how well designed and carefully laid out, if you don’t give any indication that you want them to click it, they probably won’t.

Keep it easy

Because of how little space you have at your disposal, the space in an ad is at a premium. Placing too much within its borders is a sure way to screw up the entire design. No one likes overcrowding, and yet you so often see businesses using busy ads in an attempt to draw you in.

You want your ad to be clean, simple, and get the message across.

Impact of audio-visual

When you have the money to spend, having moving ads are the great way to catch people’s eye and leave an impression. Animated video ads are becoming increasingly popular, and slideshows have been a staple of ads for a while now.

These tend to be more expensive, but it’s worth spending more on an ad that is going to make a bigger impact.

Image, not always a good option

Of course, images aren’t always a good idea. When you only have a single slide ad that remains stationary, you are limited in your space. So you may want to remove all images except your logo.

Trial & Error

All of these tips are helpful, but they aren’t a magic formula. You are going to have to find what works for you through good old-fashioned trial and error. A/B testing is a safe bet. Once you have your results, make a few tweaks; try again, then test again.

Over time you will find that your ads get stronger and become more effective. You just have to make sure you never stop trying to improve. No matter how good your results are, don’t forget that they can always be better.